Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-06-23

nur the Soft-eyed, shapely kukuana beauty,
her whole face, weary as it was animated
by look of infinite compasson-or was it
something more than compassion?
For two days we thought he must die and
crept about with heavy hearts. Only Foula-
would not believe it.
He will live" she said.
For three hundred yards or more around
Twala's chief hut, where the sufferer lay
there was silence; for By the kings order all
who lived in the habitationS behind it had
except Sir Henry and myself, been removed,
lest any noise should come TO the sick mans
ears. One night it was the fifth night of his
Illness as was my habit. went across to
see how he was getting on before turning in
for few hours.
| entered the hut carefully. The lamp
placed upon the floor showed the figure OF
Good, tossing no more, but lying quite STILL
so it had come at last! and in the bitter
ness of my heart L gave something like a
sob.
''Hush-h-hr' came from the patch of
dark shadow behind Goods head.
Then, creeping closer, saw that he was
rot dead, but sleeping soundly, with Foula-
Ia s taper fingers claSped tightly in his poor
white hand. The crisis had passed, and he
WOuIu live. l16 Slcpb lint lOI eighteen
hours: and scarcely like to say it, for fear
j should not be believed, but during that
entire period did that devoted girl sit BY
him, fearing that if she moved and drew
away her hand 1t would wake him. What
she must have suffered from camp, stiffness,
and WEAKNESS, to say nothing of want of
food, nobody will ever know; but it is a
fact that when at last he woke, she had to
No inI nyyaV-hpr m sri hot
she could not move them.
After the turn had once been taken Goods
recovery was rapid and complete. 1t was
not till he was nearly we'll that Sir Henry
told him of all he owed to Foulata; and
when he came to the story how she sat by
his side for eighteen hours, fearing lest by
moving she would wake him, the honest
sailors eyes filled with tears. He turned
and went straight to the hut where Foulata
was preparing the midday meal 1--WE were
back in our old quarters now, taking me
with him to interpret in case he could not
make his meaning clear to her, though am
bound to say she understood him marvellous
ly as rule, considering how extremely linn
tied was his foreign vocabulary.
''Tell her." said Good, ''that L owe her my
life, and that will never forget her kind
neSS.'
Interpreted, and under her dark skin she
actually seemed to blush.
Turning to him with one of those swift
and graceful motions that in her always re-
minded me of the flight of wild bird, she
answered softly, glancing at him with her
large brown eyes:
Nay, my lord, my lord forgetS! Did he
not save my life, and am L not my lords
handmaiden?'
1t will be observed that the young lady APP
peared to have entirely forgotten the share
which Sir Henry and myself had had in her
preservation from Twala'S clutches. But
that is the way of women! l remember my
dear wife was just the same. [ retired from
that little interview sad at heart. / did not
like Miss FOulata's soft gIances, for l knew
the fatal amOrOus prOpenSitieS of sailors in
general, and Good in particular.
There are two things in the world, as /
have found out, which cannot be prevented;
you cannot keep Zulu from fighting or a
sailor from falling in love upon the slightest
prOvOcation!
1t was few days after this last occur
renee that Ignosi held his great ''indaba''
(counciD, and was formally recognized as
king by the ''indunas'' (head men) of XII
kuanaland. The spectacle was most i'm
posing one, including, as it did, great re-
view OF troops. On this day the remaining
fragments of the Grays were formally parad-
ed, and in the face Of the army thanked for
their splendid conduct in the great battle.
To each man the king made large present
of cattle, promoting them one and all to the
rank of officers in the new corps of Grays
which was in process of formation. An or
der was also promulgated throughout the
1rfI, hrnn nf H,,I- t1o4
whilst we hOnored the country with our
presence, we three were to be greeted with
the royal salute, to be treated with the same
ceremony and respect that was by custom
accorded to the king, and the power of life
and death was publicly conferred upon us.
Ignosi, too, in the presence of his people,
reaffirmed the promises he had made to the
effect that no mans blood should be shed
without trial. and that witch-hunting should
cease in the Land.
When the ceremony was over we waited
upon Ignosi, and informed him that we were
now anxious to investigate the mystery of
the mines to which Solomon's Road ran,
asking him if he had discovered anything
about them.
"My friends" he answered, ''ths have I
discovered 1t is there that the three figures
sit, who here are called the Silent Ones
and to whom Twala would have offered the
girl Foulata, as sacrifice. 1t is there too,
in great cave deep in the mountain, that
the kings of the land are buried; there shall
We find Twala's body, sitting with those who
went before him. There, too, is great pit,
which, at some time, long-dead men dug
out. mayhap for the stones We speak of, such
as [ have heard men in Natal speak of at
Kimberly There, too, in the Place of Death
is secret chamber known to none but the
king and Gagooi. But Twala, who knew it,
is dead, and | know it not, nor know what
is in it. But there is legend in the land
that once, many generations gone, white
man crossed the mountains, and was led by
a woman to the secret chamber and shown
the wealth, but before he could take it she
betrayed him, and he was driven by the king
of that day back to the mountains, and since
then no man has entered the chamber"
The story is surely true, Ignosi, for on
the mountains we found the white man." |
said.
Yes, we found him. And now L have
promised ye that if We can find that chamber,